St Davids vs Goliath: Britain’s smallest city goes to war with Footsie giant over plans to build a Premier Inn

Premier Inn last night vowed to press ahead with a new hotel in Britain’s smallest city – despite fierce opposition that has seen a petition against the plans attract more signatures than there are residents.

Whitbread, the FTSE 100 company that owns the hotel chain, wants to build a 63-room Premier Inn on the edge of St Davids in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

But the proposals have sparked a fierce backlash in a city famed for its coastal views, 12th century cathedral and historic centre.

Fighting back: Whitbread's proposals have sparked a fierce backlash in a city famed for its coastal views, 12th century cathedral and historic centre

Locals have vowed to fight the plans tooth and nail – claiming the hotel, on the main road into the city, will spoil the chain-free atmosphere of the area and threaten livelihoods.

They are campaigning to defeat the plans and have nearly 2,000 signatures on a petition against it – more than the estimated population of St Davids.

The row has escalated after a charm offensive by Whitbread collapsed in acrimony. Whitbread and its commercial partners insisted they still wanted to press ahead.

Bosses courted members of the community land trust, offering to pay the planning fees for an affordable housing scheme nearby if they linked their proposals with those of the hotel.

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But residents have accused the land trust of a stitch-up and eventually forced it to pull out.

The petition, by the No To Premier Inn St Davids group, claims the hotel would ‘pave the way for more big chains within our beautiful city’.

A spokesman added: ‘Premier Inn won’t support local businesses, it will undermine them.’

Liz Taylor, a retired management consultant who has lived in St Davids for 17 years, said people were also worried the hotel would crush local rivals and open the door to more big corporate names arriving.

She said: ‘We want a scheme that will create jobs, not take them away. Our campaign is now going all guns blazing – we will be fighting this tooth and nail.’ Robert Baxter, 53, who works at The City Inn, a small pub that also offers accommodation to visiting families, said local businesses were worried they would be driven into bankruptcy by competition from the hotel.

However, some residents have voiced support in comments on the local newspaper’s website. One wrote: ‘A lot of true St Davids residents are not objecting, it’s just the rich incomers who want to keep the place in the dark ages and keep all the tourist money for themselves.’

Another said: ‘At least a Premier Inn may bring a few people down over the winter.’

Commenting on behalf of Swangate Developments, Pembrokeshire Housing Association and Whitbread, Turley planning consultant James Anderson said: ‘The organisations are working together on a planning application for the site and further details on the proposals will be shared with residents and stakeholders in due course.’